In Christ

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. - John 17:20

People are separate individuals and we see only the outside of each other. For the most part we do not look deeply into each other, but interact and judge one another simply by what we see on the outside. We act or react to the things that other people do according to whether it pleases us or displeases us. We don’t look deep into their hearts and KNOW them, and so we live in falsehood because you do not truly know someone unless you know their heart. Outward appearances can be a complete cover for what is really in their heart. There is a better realm to live in than that. This wall that is around each individual can be done away with and you can look deeper into other people. You can look into their heart and you can really KNOW your wife, your children, and the brethren.

Love is the key that unlocks the heart. The love of God unlocks the heart of a sinner and lets God into their secret places. This is the basis of the Atonement. God’s love for us while we were yet sinners shows his love toward us and that is the power that conquers the rebellious heart. Likewise, it is our love for God that unlocks his heart to the seeking soul and gives that one access to the secret places of God. You don’t really know God until you know his heart. You must know God intimately, not just know a lot of facts and knowledge about Him. You cannot truly KNOW God by simply believing all the obvious facts about Him. You must know his heart!

You are not "in Christ" until you know his heart. You can’t know his heart unless you love him.

Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; – Song of Solomon 8:6

"Love is strong as death." In order to comprehend what he is saying let us first consider how strong death is. No man has power to resist it. It is able to overcome the strongest of men – ALL of them. You might try to ignore it’s coming, flee from it, or resist it, but in the end death always wins.

There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: …Eccl. 8:8

The power of death has been in the hands of the devil since sin entered into this world, but Jesus took that power away from him by his own death and resurrection.

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; Heb. 2:14

Love was the reason He gave his life. He died for us because He loved us. Love is stronger than death, and therefore the grave could not hold him, because He IS LOVE.

"The springs of love are in God, not in us. It is absurd to look for the love of God in our hearts naturally, it is only there when it has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost."

"If we try to prove to God how much we love him it is a sure sign that we do not love him. The evidence of our love for him is the absolute spontaneity of our love, it comes naturally. In looking back, we cannot tell why we did certain things, we did them according to the spontaneous nature of his love in us. The life of God manifests itself in this spontaneous way because the springs of love are in the Holy Ghost." – Oswald Chambers

Are you truly "in Christ?"

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. – 1 John 4:16

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. – 1 Cor 15:22

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. – 2 Cor 5:17

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. – Eph 2:13

Mike Miller
5/3/2008